Winter Fishing is Hot
Winter is a great time of the year to catch a vast variety of fish. I always ask my clients if it’s more important to target fish to eat or just to target big fish that fight. I normally get one of three answers, they answer, only fish that they can eat or only fish that put up a big fight or both. Once I know what they want to target, I know how to map our approach.
If they are a group that wants to only catch fish to eat, I might target trout on the grass flats first using greenbacks or trout in the residential canals using shrimp. Next, we would target sheepshead, seabass, Spanish mackerel and mangrove snappers on rocky reefs near the shipping channels by deep dropping shrimp on jigheads. After the shipping channel we might go to the sand flats near the power plant looking for cobia, black tips and/or bonnetheads. Finally, we could possibly head into the rivers and estuaries dead sticking for redfish underneath the mangroves.
For the group that doesn’t care about catching table fare and only cares about their rods bending and drags screaming, we might start out catching ladyfish and jacks on the flats using shrimp or greenbacks. We’d take the small ladyfish and jacks and keep them alive in the livewell and the large ladyfish would be put on ice to be cut up for chunk bait and chum. Our next move would be to fish live free lined ladyfish for huge jack crevalles, bull sharks and tarpon. After fishing the power plant we’d take the live jacks and deep drop them near the shipping channel for fifty to five hundred-pound goliath grouper.
For the group that says they want both, we might head into the river and target snook, redfish and trout on shrimp and greenbacks on oyster bars and mangroves. After chasing snook, reds and trout, we would possibly fish the mouth of the Little Manatee River and/or Teco power plant for pompano using yellow or pink Silly Willy jigs. Finally, we might head near shore for kingfish and Spanish mackerel as well as looking for tripletail around crab buoys and markers.
For those who don’t want to fish during the winter months, Ana Banana Fishing Company offers hunting excursions targeting ducks during the day and hog hunting at night. We also offer spear fishing wrecks and reefs as well as sightseeing, eco tours, dolphin/manatee/bird watching and shelling/shark teeth gathering on various deserted islands.
No matter what your passion or pleasure our bay and gulf waters offer a lot of promise during winter time!
For a charter with Captain Joel Brandenburg call 813-267-4401 or visit www.anabananafishing.com